FREMANTLE has overcome a gallant Brisbane Lions to open their season in winning fashion with a two-point win at the Gabba.

After trailing by as much as 17 points in the last term, a classy Michael Walters goal with two minutes remaining put the Fremantle Dockers' nose in front. The visitors won 13.16 (94) to 14.8 (92).

Walters won a free kick in a marking contest with Pearce Hanley and went back and slotted a left-footed check-side kick from the boundary line.

They defeated a Lions team that finished with just one man on the bench after captain Jonathan Brown (face) and utility Brent Staker (knee) were taken off in the third quarter and did not return.

Brown suffered severe facial injuries and was rushed to hospital following a sickening collision with Luke McPharlin late in the third, while Staker hobbled off just minutes earlier.

Brown was still undergoing scans post-match.

This all happened less than 10 minutes after Lions coach Michael Voss had used his substitution Amon Buchanan to replace Claye Beams.

The Lions held a deserved 10-point lead at half-time before the game changed dramatically after the break.

Fremantle started winning at the stoppages with Matthew Pavlich, David Mundy and Adam McPhee springing to life.

When Daniel Rich goaled mid way through the final term, the Lions looked home, but the dominant Aaron Sandilands, Nathan Fyfe and Walters all kicked goals to get the visitors home.

Influential players
David Mundy came to life after the break. He had four touches to the main prior to the second half, but while everyone else was running out of legs, he came on strong to end with 24 possessions and help turn the tide.

What it means
Despite being below their best and missing a number of automatic selections through injury, Fremantle still managed to squeeze out a win. Mark Harvey’s men showed the resolve that took them to the finals last season and why they should again this season.

The next four
Fremantle: Geelong (h), Adelaide (a), North Melbourne (a), Western Bulldogs (h)

What the coach said
Mark Harvey:
"I thought the Brisbane Lions were fantastic tonight, the way they fought the game out under a lot of duress, a lot of injury. The reality is sometimes you win a game when you shouldn't.

To our blokes' credit when you're travelling on the road, it's the biggest trip, and we hung in there and we showed some character. It's the one we got away with, that's how I would rank it.”

Magic Moment:
After having a quiet night, Michael Walters stood up when his team needed him most. Four points down and less than three minutes remaining, he went back into a marking contest with Pearce Hanley and won a free kick. With the crowed booing over his shoulder, he coolly went back and slotted the left-footer check-side from a tight angle to put Fremantle in front. The post-goal celebration to the hecklers was also well worth seeing.

Dream Team Highlight
Aaron Sandilands showed why he’s one of the most sought after players in the competition by racking up 114 points. The big Fremantle ruckman had a quiet first half, and despite spending some time resting in the forward line, came on strongly to be the highest point scorer. After an interrupted pre-season, the man mountain from the west can only improve as the weeks tick on.

Fremantle  3.5  6.8  8.14  13.16 (94)
Brisbane Lions  4.5  8.6  10.7  14.8 (92)

GOALS
Fremantle: Mayne 2, Walters 2, Pitt, Mundy, Hill, Lower, Fyfe, Sandilands, Suban, Ballantyne, Bradley.
Brisbane Lions: Brown 3, Beams 2, Banfield 2, Rich 2, Polkinghorne, O’Brien, Bewick, Clark, Lester

BEST
Fremantle: Pavlich, Sandilands, Mundy, McPhee, Mayne, Fyfe
Brisbane Lions:  Black, Leuenberger, Rich, Rockliff, Merrett, Brown, Hanley

INJURIES
Fremantle:
Brisbane Lions: Power (back, replaced in selected side by Beams), Brown (nose), Staker (ankle)
 
Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Stewart, Kamolins

Official crowd: 23, 373 at the Gabba

More to come

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL